Apple Inc. v. APPLiA - HOME APPLIANCE EUROPE, en abrégé 'APPLiA', AISBL

Apple Inc.

Decision

The applicant claims services related to a specific branch, namely the lobbying in home appliance industry. The opponent did not provide any arguments giving any reasons why the relevant public would establish any link between the opponent’s reputed goods and services and the applicant’s lobbying services besides the claimed similarity between the signs and the services in conflict. The mere fact that Apple is reputed in telecommunications-related goods and services providing applications for their genuine use does not imply an automatic link to the concrete lobbying services. Therefore the opposition is refused based on Article 8(5) and the marks are very lowly similar in order to trigger a possibility for confusion in highly attentive consumers.

Comparison of Trademarks

Apple

APPLiA Home Appliance Europe

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